Rabbi Shepard himself designed it and then proceeded to cut every single piece of wood

Creativity, persistence, and vision are the stamps of a great mechanech. As Cincinnati’s Torah community sees the development of a new chinuch frontier, all these qualities are on display. In the place where Rav Yissochar Dov Illowy battled the Reform movement in the 1880s and Rav Eliezer Silver oversaw a hatzalas nefashos network, a city prominent in American Jewish lore takes its place in the American Jewish future as well, as a new mesivta is opening its doors.

For Rabbi Hillel Shepard, the mesivta’s innovative menahel, chinuch — every part of it — is personal. The success of the great rabbanim of Cincinnati has been the way the Torah and its every word is cherished and revered, and the aron kodesh in the new mesivta will reflect that: Rather than give architects a free hand in designing it, Rabbi Shepard himself designed it and then proceeded to cut every single piece of wood.

As Chazal say, “Do not read it as ‘banayich — sons of Torah,’ but as ‘bonayich — builders of Torah.’ ” Literally.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 866)